国内英语新闻:China-ASEAN Expo concludes in south China

NANNING, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The 16th China-ASEAN Expo and the concurrent China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit concluded Tuesday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

A total of 2,848 enterprises participated in the four-day event, up 2.4 percent from last year, said Wang Lei, secretary-general of the China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat at the press conference.

Meanwhile, 90 trade and investment promotion activities were held among China, member states of ASEAN and other Belt and Road countries.

This year's expo accommodated exhibitors with 7,000 booths in venues covering 134,000 square meters, according to Wang.

Food, beverage, household products and consumer goods from ASEAN countries, as well as Chinese engineering machinery products, food packaging machines and building materials were most favored by purchasers.

The expo further facilitated international cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, with 131 companies from 20 other nations participating in the Belt and Road showcasing their products, reaching an all-time high, Wang said.

A total of 502 economic cooperation deals were signed at the event, of which 439 were international projects.

Wang added that the 17th China-ASEAN Expo is primarily scheduled for Sept. 18-21, 2020, with Laos as the Country of Honor.